HINDU devotees celebrated Galungan this month falling on Wednesday (Jul 6). Celebration of the festivity is expected to guard the continuation of dharma. Director of Graduate Program of Hindu University of Indonesia, Prof. Dr. IB Gunadha, said that Galungan was a universal symbol of people’s struggle to uphold dharma. With foundation of dharma, we had

HINDU devotees celebrated Galungan this month falling on Wednesday (Jul 6). Celebration of the festivity is expected to guard the continuation of dharma. Director of Graduate Program of Hindu University of Indonesia, Prof. Dr. IB Gunadha, said that Galungan was a universal symbol of people’s struggle to uphold dharma.

With foundation of dharma, we had strength in implementing our own svadharma (own duty)—how should be the dharma of a Brahmin, dharma of a leader (Kshatriya), dharma of an economic agent (Vaishsya) and dharma of a farmer (Shudra). In this context, people had to optimally undertake their respective svadharma.

For example, dharma of a leader was to enforce the rules or laws. Not on the contrary, they broke the laws. In enforcing the laws, the enforcers should not be selective. Dharma of a leader was also to protect the public—giving a sense of security and comfort. A leader had to be able to prosper their community. Through the moment of Galungan and Kuningan festivity, people should conduct an evaluation or introspection in carrying out dharma (svadharma) so far. A lecturer in Faculty of Letters, Udayana University, IB Jelantik, said there was mentioned in Sundarigama palm-leaf script as follows ‘Buda Kliwon Dungulan ngaran Galungan, patitis ikang jnyana sandhi galang apadang, mariakena byaparaning idep.’

In short, the text of manuscript revealed that people should be able to focus their mind on knowledge (jnana). By mastering science, people can illuminate darkness within the self.

Meanwhile, Director of Master Program in Science of Religion and Culture, Dr. I Wayan Budi Utama, said that Galungan reminded of people to live their life on this mundane world by always referring to dharma because the struggle of dharma against adharma was never over. Penampahan and Galungan should be interpreted as an endless struggle of mankind to always uphold the truth against falsehood. Here, holiday celebration could serve as a reminder of people that the tasks of upholding the truth were never final.